Skater Kevin Kiarie declares Roysambu MP bid amid tiff with Sports Ministry

Kenyan freestyle skater Kevin Kiarie Ruhiu has declared his bid for the Roysambu parliamentary seat in the August 10, 2027, General Election, entering politics after months of public disagreements with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports over funding and support for his international competitions.

Kiarie in a statement on October 12 announced that he would contest on a Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) ticket, saying he wanted to address challenges facing residents and defend the interests of young people and athletes.

In his declaration, Kiarie described Roysambu as a cosmopolitan constituency with opportunities in business, education, infrastructure and healthcare that he believes remain underdeveloped.

“There are plenty of opportunities for our youths here in Kenya more than anywhere else in the world and I shall stand to defend my fellow athletes without fear,” he said.

He pledged to protect young people's ambitions from what he described as broken systems and promised to serve residents without discrimination if elected.

“I will give Roysambu a voice we haven't had for so long,” Kiarie said, adding that he had received support from Kenyans across the country.

Kiarie's entry into politics follows his rise to national attention through freestyle skating, including international competitions in which he said he struggled to secure adequate institutional support.

In December 2025, he competed at the Inline Freestyle World Championship in Singapore, reportedly financing his participation himself.

His profile rose further in April 2026 when he travelled to Cotonou, Benin, for the International Skating Challenge.

Images and accounts of his journey, including his use of public transport to get to the airport, attracted public attention amid questions about support for athletes competing in less-established sporting disciplines.

He won gold in the Freestyle Battle category and silver in Classic Slalom at the Benin event before competing at the African Skating Championships in Cairo, Egypt, where he also won medals.

Kiarie's participation in the competitions drew support from well-wishers, with public fundraising helping meet travel expenses.

The achievements brought attention to the financial challenges facing athletes in niche sports and prompted questions about the systems used to fund international participation and reward medal winners.

The disagreements between Kiarie and the Sports Ministry intensified after his performances in Benin and Egypt, particularly over medal rewards and reimbursement of competition expenses.

In May 2026, Kiarie said he had received Sh870,000 against an expected reward of approximately Sh2.78 million for his medal haul.

He also said Sh380,000 had been reimbursed through the Kenya Federation of Roller Skating towards expenses he put at approximately Sh1.28 million for his Egypt trip.

The ministry's handling of the payments became a recurring point of contention as Kiarie publicly sought clarification on funds he said had been approved for his competitions.

In September, the skater also questioned reports that he had been proposed for recognition as a National Hero, asking why the government would consider honouring his achievements while, according to him, outstanding competition support and reimbursements remained unresolved.

The ministry has disputed his account of the extent of government support, saying it had paid his cash awards for the Benin International Challenge and the African Skating Championships.

The dispute escalated in October when Kiarie missed the 2026 World Skate Games in Asunción, Paraguay, which ran from October 2 to 18.

Kiarie accused ministry officials of failing to provide the promised travel and visa assistance, saying he had to raise money for his ticket and accommodation despite public assurances that support would be provided.

The ministry, however, said it had intervened after learning of his concerns through a video posted on social media.

It said the travel itinerary initially submitted by Kiarie was for October 2 and had lapsed by the time officials were handling his request.

According to the ministry, Director of Sports Dr Bernard Ouma contacted Kiarie, who needed assistance with a transit visa for Panama.

Officials said they requested an updated itinerary and advised him to consider alternative routes, but the required revised document was not submitted.

Kiarie rejected the ministry's account, continuing to question how funds approved for athletes were being handled.

On October 9, the federation's president, Anthony Mburu, said Kiarie was neither registered with nor affiliated to the federation and had competed internationally as an individual rather than as an athlete officially authorised by the national governing body.

Mburu said the federation had not held local qualifiers or trials for freestyle skating in 2026 and had not authorised any skater to represent Kenya at the World Skate Games.

The federation also said it was investigating how Kiarie registered for international events.